Modified Board Game - Fishy Business
A modified and enhanced version of the children’s game Let’s Go Fishin’
Modified Let’s Play
Original Let’s Play
Modified Rules
Players: 2-4 Players.
Objective: To reach the end of the board first.
Set-Up: Place pond inside the board with the On/Off switch next to the purple “Start.” Randomly place sea creatures within the pond. Shuffle the three colored decks separately and place them beside the board, along with the timer. Have each player choose a pawn, place them on the purple “Start” tile, and take a fishing pole. Roll the D4 to determine who goes first. The player who rolls the highest goes first and turns continue clockwise.
Game Play: At the start of a player’s turn, they roll the D4 and move their pawn the corresponding number of spaces on the board. After moving, the player chooses the top card of the deck corresponding to the color their pawn is on. (Ex. If you land on a red space, draw the top red card.) These cards offer a unique challenge to the player(s) that will reward them with movement if the challenge is completed.
Prior to beginning each challenge, players turn the pond switch to On and hold their fishing rods away from/not above the pond. For time-based challenges, set the timer before starting the challenge. When the player(s) are ready, start the timer and begin fishing. To Fish, players use their fishing pole (holding them below the colored line on the rods) to hook the fish and lift them away from the game board, one fish at a time. If the fish flips on the way out, the person who caught it can grab it with their hands and count it towards their total. The two diagrams are shown reference specific challenges that require the player to collect fish in a certain way (spearfishing) or collect certain fish on the board, inner (green circle) or outer (red circle) fish. Each color offers a different type of challenge:
Yellow (Solo): Only the player who draws the card engages in the challenge. If the player completes the challenge, they move the number of spaces listed on the card.
Red (Duel): The player who draws the card engages in a challenge against another player specified by the card drawn. The players start at the same time and have the same objective.
Orange (Group): All players engage in the challenge. The players start at the same time and have the same objective. The winner for Duel/Group challenges is the person with the highest count of the specified fish (or all fish if no color was specified).
If there’s a tie in a Duel, nobody moves their pawn. If there’s a tie in a group, the persons who tied each move their pawn. The winner of a duel/group moves regardless of whether they drew the card or not. After the winner moves the number of spaces specified by the card, the turn of the player who drew the card ends. Turn order moves clockwise. Make sure to put the sea creatures back in the pond and discard them. If a deck runs out of cards, create a new deck with the discarded cards of that color.
Winning the Game: The first player to reach the “end duel” tile on the game board and successfully win their last duel wins the game. If the player loses the duel, they must duel again their next turn
MDA Analysis
Mechanics
Rules and concepts, code level
Let's Go Fishin’ is a very simple game designed for anyone above the age of four. Players are each given a fishing rod that will be used to fish. The key objective of the game is to catch the most fish until there aren’t any more to catch. The task is simulated by fish that rise and down while opening their mouths, giving the player the chance to catch it using a fishing rod. Let’s Go Fishin’ places the fish in a board that spins, raising the difficulty. Twelve fish are placed in the center that is easier to catch since they move slower, and twelve fish are placed around the edges of the board which are harder to catch because they move faster. Certain fish have different shapes that will affect whether the player will catch or drop the fish. Although each fish is a different color, it doesn’t affect gameplay in any way unless the players want it to.
Dynamics
Run-time behavior of the mechanics acting on player inputs
Let’s Go Fishin’ is very easy to learn, but much to our surprise, strategies can be formed to get the greatest amount of fish. Players who have gotten a grasp on the mechanics focus on the outer ring to grab a huge group of fish within a matter of seconds. But one should be careful as players can use their fishing rods to prevent another player from catching a fish they want. Players can develop a rhythm and pinpoint when a fish will open its mouth to be able to catch multiple fish without delay.
Aesthetics
Emotional responses evoked in the player when they interact with the game system
The best way to describe the feeling of Let’s Go Fishin’ is chaotic and challenging. This is because the game creates a sense of panic because players want to get the most fish while being faster than their opponents despite there being no time limit. A greater number of players intensifies this feeling, especially when your hooks can be caught with other players. The sense of challenge comes from figuring out the timing of when the fish will open their mouths, especially the ones on the outer edge.
The New Aesthetic
When we saw Let’s Go Fishin’, we knew that, since it’s a game targeted towards young children, that it would be very chaotic. Although we enjoy the chaotic aesthetic, we wanted to implement a more balanced environment that was more skill-based and competitive. To accomplish this new aesthetic, we added new mechanics such as a board with spaces, player pieces, a die with four sides, a maximum of four players instead of six, drawing cards, skill challenges, and 1v1 scenarios. Now that the game has a clearer end goal and multiple challenges throughout, it has more controlled gameplay that gives players a chance to develop their fishing skills and strategize. For example, after the first round or two, players will be able to tell the best ways and locations to catch the fish and see who’s the best at it. Therefore, a player could strategically pick a worse player to duel, if they get to choose, in order to increase their chances of winning. We didn’t want the entire game to be player vs player, however, so we added skill challenges. All of them timed, many of the tasks provide a tough challenge for a single player that gives a big reward if completed: more movement. Movement is the macro aim of the game while the micro aim is to catch fish; in the original game, the only goal was to catch fish. Players want to move to reach the winning end zone but to move they must win challenges, and to win challenges they must catch fish. Overall, with the new mechanics, there’s more strategy involved that older players will enjoy.